Shawnzus at 17:05, 31 March 2026

2026-03-31T17:05:42Z

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'''Anti-mosque campaigning in India''' refers to a series of assertions predominantly advanced by [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] and [[Far-right politics|far-right]] Hindu organisations, alleging that numerous present-day [[List of mosques in India|mosque sites]] were originally the locations of [[Hindu temple|Hindu temples]]. These claims are widely regarded as politically motivated and surface during electoral periods. They are also interpreted as manifestations of the broader [[Hindutva|Hindutva ideology]] espoused by the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva [[Paramilitary|paramilitary organisation]], and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP), India’s current ruling political party.<ref name="indianexpress" >{{Cite web |date=2025-01-10 |title=Mosque-temple rows and elections: A look at 11 disputed sites |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/mosque-temple-rows-and-elections-disputed-sites-9771932/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sambhal: India city tense after violence over mosque survey |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3de7k5gk78o |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=www.bbc.com |date=25 November 2024 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Ellis-Petersen | first=Hannah | title=Thousands of mosques targeted as Hindu nationalists try to rewrite India's history | website=the Guardian | date=2022-10-30 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/30/thousands-of-mosques-targeted-as-hindu-nationalists-try-to-rewrite-indias-history | access-date=2025-01-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Fatima | first=Heena | title=Masjids, migrants, mobility. Himachal is becoming a new anti-mosque hotspot | website=ThePrint | date=2024-10-17 | url=https://theprint.in/ground-reports/masjids-migrants-mobility-himachal-is-becoming-a-new-anti-mosque-hotspot/2315232/ | access-date=2025-01-10}}</ref>

== History ==
Following the [[partition of India]], two weeks before [[Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi|his assassination]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]] conducted a six-day fast in part to demand evacuation of mosques occupied by non-Muslims.<ref>{{cite book |last=Coward |first=Harold |title=Indian Critiques of Gandhi |date=2012-02-01 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-8588-0 |publication-place=Albany |page=213}}</ref>

In 1991, the [[Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991|Places of Worship Act]] was passed to ban conversion of any worship place and to provide "for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947."<ref name="b474">{{cite web | last=Azeefa Fathima | first=Binu Karunakaran | title=Explained: The Places of Worship Act and why it is being challenged in SC | website=The News Minute | date=2024-12-11 | url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/explained-the-places-of-worship-act-and-why-it-is-being-challenged-in-sc | access-date=2025-04-16}}</ref>

==Major incidents==
===Gyanvapi Mosque===
The [[Gyanvapi Mosque]] was constructed in 1678. In 1991, a suit was filed claiming that mosque had been built on the site of a supposed Kashi Vishwanath temple.<ref name="indianexpress"/> In 2024, a district court in Varanasi passed an order to allow Hindus to worship in a previously sealed basement inside the mosque. The verdict came following a report by the [[Archeological Survey of India]] (ASI), which determined that a "large Hindu temple" existed in the location prior to the construction of the mosque. The management committee of the mosque vehemently denied the claims. S. M. Yasin, the joint secretary of the mosque committee said, "Now we have no hope of justice in this country."<ref>{{cite web | title=A Day Before Retiring, Varanasi Judge Hands Over Gyanvapi Masjid Basement to Hindus For Worship | website=The Wire | date=2019-01-23 | url=https://thewire.in/religion/judge-hands-over-gyanvapi-basement-to-hindus | access-date=2025-01-15}}</ref>

===1992 Babri Masjid demolition===
{{Main|Ayodhya dispute|Demolition of the Babri Masjid|Consecration of the Ram Mandir}}

The claim that the [[Babri Masjid]], or Babri Mosque, was built on a site near the birthplace of the [[Hindu deities|Hindu deity]] [[Rama]] was first made by [[Joseph Tiefenthaler]], a [[Jesuits|Jesuit missionary]]. In 1788, Johann Barnoulli translated his account from French. In 1822 Hafizullah, an official of the Faizabad law court suggested that the Babri mosque was built on birthplace of Rama.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Udayakumar | first=S. P. | title=Historicizing Myth and Mythologizing History: The 'Ram Temple' Drama | journal=Social Scientist | volume=25 | issue=7/8 | year=1997 | issn=0970-0293 | jstor=3517601 | pages=11–26 | doi=10.2307/3517601 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3517601 | access-date=2025-01-15| url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1853, ''[[Bairagi Brahmin (caste)|Bairagi Brahmins]]'', a group of [[Caste system in India|upper-caste]] Hindu ascetics claimed that the mosque was built on the site of the "Ramjanmabhoomi temple," which was supposedly destroyed by [[Babur]] (16th century), leading to a series of clashes between Hindus and Muslims at [[Ayodhya]] in 1855.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hEOFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA8 |title=Destruction and Conservation of Cultural Property |publisher=Routledge |year=2003 |isbn=9781134604982 |editor-last1=Layton |editor-first1=Robert |pages=8–9 |editor-last2=Thomas |editor-first2=Julian}}</ref> Afterwards, a compromise was made that allowed Hindus to worship Rama on a ''chabootra'' (platform) close to the mosque. In 1883, a local ''[[pandit]]'' requested the construction of a temple on the ''chabootra'', but the British denied the request due to its closeness to the mosque. In 1949, after Indian independence, idols of Rama and Sita were surreptitiously installed inside the mosque, which led to the closure of the mosque by the authorities.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o17XAAAAMAAJ |title=Hindu Nationalism: A Reader |date=2010 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-2803-6 |publication-place=Princeton, N.J |page=280-284 |language=en |chapter=Ayodhya, the Babri Masjid, and the Ramjanmabhumi Dispute}}</ref>

The demand for the temple was revived in the 1980s and early 1990s by the [[Vishva Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP). The demands led to [[Ram Rath Yatra|a high-profile political rally]] which culminated in [[Demolition of the Babri Masjid|the demolition of the mosque]] by [[Hindutva|a far-right Hindu mob]] on 6 December 1992, with the goal of forcibly constructing a Hindu temple on the disputed site.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nussbaum |first=Martha C. |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt13x0k4v |title=The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India's Future |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-674-02482-3 |page=17 |chapter=Genocide in Gujarat |doi=10.2307/j.ctt13x0k4v |jstor=j.ctt13x0k4v |access-date=2024-12-15}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Following the demolition, a report by the ASI claimed a temple had once existed on the site, though the claim was disputed by archaeologists and Muslim communities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=22 January 2024 |title=Babri mosque to Ram temple: A timeline from 1528 to 2024 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/22/babri-mosque-to-ram-temple-a-timeline-from-1528-to-2024 |website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref> In 2019 the Supreme Court of India ruled that the disputed land should be handed over to Hindus for the construction of a Ram temple.<ref>{{Cite news |title=What was the Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid site? {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/question/What-was-the-Supreme-Courts-2019-verdict-on-the-Ram-Janmabhoomi-Babri-Masjid-site |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251011142740/https://www.britannica.com/question/What-was-the-Supreme-Courts-2019-verdict-on-the-Ram-Janmabhoomi-Babri-Masjid-site |archive-date=2025-10-11 |access-date=2026-03-31 |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rajagopal |first=Krishnadas |date=2019-11-10 |title=Ayodhya verdict {{!}} Supreme Court agrees Muslims were wronged but allows Ram temple |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ayodhya-verdict-supreme-court-agrees-muslims-were-wronged-but-allows-ram-temple/article61621466.ece |access-date=2026-03-31 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 November 2019 |title=Supreme Court of India |url=https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2010/36350/36350_2010_1_1502_18205_Judgement_09-Nov-2019.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=31 March 2026 |website=Supreme Court of India}}</ref> Under the [[premiership of Narendra Modi]], the [[Ram Mandir]], or Ram Temple, [[Consecration of the Ram Mandir|was consecrated]] on 22 January 2024, ahead of the [[2024 Indian general election|Indian general election]] later that year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellis-Petersen |first=Hannah |last2=Hassan |first2=Aakash |date=15 January 2024 |title=Divine moment or political gimmick? India gears up to inaugurate huge Hindu temple |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/15/divine-moment-or-political-gimmick-india-gears-up-to-inaugurate-huge-hindu-temple |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

===Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque===
A 2020 case filed on behalf of Hindu god Vishnu sought reinstatement of Hindu and Jain idols inside the [[Qutb Minar complex#Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque|Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque]]. It also alleged that 27 Hindu and Jain temples had been destroyed for the construction of the mosque. The suit was later dismissed by a civil judge in 2021.<ref name="indianexpress"/>

===Shamsi Jama Masjid===
[[Jama Masjid Shamsi|Shamsi Jama Masjid]] is a mosque in Badaun, [[Uttar Pradesh]], originally built in the year 1223 by [[Iltutmish]]. In July 2022, a lawsuit was filed that alleged that Mosque was an "illegal structure" constructed on the site of a [[Shiva]] temple, the lawsuit also demanded the ownership of land and right to pray there. It was filed on behalf of a local farmer with the backing of Hindu nationalist right wing organisation Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.<ref>{{cite web | last=Ellis-Petersen | first=Hannah | title=Thousands of mosques targeted as Hindu nationalists try to rewrite India's history | website=the Guardian | date=2022-10-30 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/30/thousands-of-mosques-targeted-as-hindu-nationalists-try-to-rewrite-indias-history | access-date=2025-01-15}}</ref>

===Sanjauli Mosque===
On 5 September 2024, Hindu right-wing groups organized a large protest at Chaura Maidan near the Vidhan Sabha in [[Shimla]], Himachal Pradesh, calling for the demolition of [[Sanjauli Mosque]] located in Sanjauli.<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2024-09-05 |title=Hindu groups protest in Shimla over 'illegal' mosque in Sanjauli |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/himachal-pradesh/hindu-groups-stage-mass-protest-in-shimla-over-illegal-mosque/article68609172.ece |access-date=2025-01-15 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

===Atala Mosque, Jaunpur===

The Swaraj Vahini Association claims the [[Atala Mosque, Jaunpur|Atala Mosque]] was built after allegedly demolishing a 13th-century temple dedicated to Atala Devi. They filed a suit in May 2024 to declare the mosque as the Atala Devi Mandir and permit Hindu worship. The Waqf Atala Mosque challenged this in the [[Allahabad High Court]], asserting it has always been a Muslim place of worship and denying the claims of it being a converted temple.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2024-12-16 |title=Court in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur refuses to order survey of Atala mosque |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jaunpur-court-refuses-to-order-survey-of-atala-mosque/article68992220.ece |access-date=2025-01-15 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

===Uttarkashi protests===
{{Main|2024 Haldwani riots}}

In October 2024, the anti-mosque protests were organised by Hindutva groups to demand demolition of a 55-year-old mosque situated near the Kashi Vishwanath temple in [[Uttarkashi district]]. These protests soon turned violent after Muslim-owned shops were vandalised. Four police officers were also injured.<ref name="s333">{{cite web | title=Muslim-owned shops vandalised, police injured as anti-mosque protest in Uttarkashi turns violent | website=Scroll.in | date=2024-10-25 | url=https://scroll.in/latest/1074917/muslim-owned-shops-vandalised-police-injured-as-anti-mosque-protest-in-uttarkashi-turns-violent | access-date=2025-01-15}}</ref>
===Shahi Jama Masjid===
{{Main|2024 Sambhal violence}}

In November 2024, a petition was filed by Hari Shankar Jain, a pro-Hindutva advocate in the Chandausi Civil Court alleging that the [[Shahi Jama Masjid]] in [[Sambhal]] was built over a 'Shri Hari Har Temple'. Following this, Civil Judge Aditya Singh directed the survey of the mosque, which resulted in [[2024 Sambhal violence|violence]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Uttar Pradesh: Court-Appointed Commissioner Surveys Mughal-Era Mosque Amid Claims of Ancient Hindu Temple | website=The Wire | date=2024-11-20 | url=https://thewire.in/religion/uttar-pradesh-court-appointed-commissioner-surveys-mughal-era-mosque-amid-claims-of-ancient-hindu-temple | access-date=2025-01-15}}</ref> Commentators and scholars note the litigation to be part of a broader [[Hindutva|Hindu nationalist]] assault on Indian Muslims.<ref>
{{Cite journal |title=Past Continuous, Present Tense |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2024/49/editorials/past-continuous-present-tense.html |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=LIX |issue=49 |date=7 December 2024 |pages=7–8}}
</ref><ref>
{{Cite news |title=Express view: Tragedy in Sambhal |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/express-view-tragedy-in-sambhal-9690194/ |website=The Indian Express |date=2024-11-26}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news |title=Revanchist suits: The Hindu Editorial on the Shahi Jama Masjid |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2024-12-01 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/%E2%80%8Brevanchist-suits-the-hindu-editorial-on-the-shahi-jama-masjid/article68935041.ece}}
</ref>

=== Shahi Idgah dispute ===
In [[Mathura]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] a dispute originated when the Hindu side filed an original suit before the civil court claiming that the [[Shahi Idgah, Mathura|Shahi Idgah Masjid]] (mosque) was built on [[Krishna]] (a Hindu deity) Janmabhoomi (birthplace) land. The original suit filed in 2023 along with other connected petitions is pending before [[Allahabad High Court]]. In a recent hearing, the High Court directed the press to exercise caution when reporting court proceedings relating to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah case.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Ratna |date=2024-12-13 |title=The 11 disputes over religious sites across India that will now be stayed |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/11-religious-sites-dispute-india-7-uttar-pradesh |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Karthikeyan |first=Suchitra |date=2024-06-12 |title=Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah timeline: History, 'compromise' & legal battle |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/krishna-janmabhoomi-and-shahi-idgah-timeline-history-compromise-legal-battle/article67871384.ece |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mishra |first=Ishita |date=2024-08-01 |title=Mathura's Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute: Allahabad HC upholds maintainability of suits |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/krishna-janmabhoomi-shahi-idgah-dispute-allahabad-hc-upholds-hindu-sides-suit-dismisses-muslim-partys-challenge/article68472309.ece |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Violence against Muslims in independent India]]
* [[Hindutva pseudohistory]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Anti-Muslim violence in India]]
[[Category:Islamophobia in India]]
[[Category:Attacks on mosques in India|*]]
[[Category:Hindutva]]

Anti-mosque campaigning in India - Revision history

Shawnzus at 17:05, 31 March 2026